Operating values recorded during the trip are entered into the rollover identification systems of motor vehicles. From the operating values, the possibility of the vehicle rolling over can be identified. Suitable safety measures are taken against this.
Vehicle parameters such as the mass of the vehicle or its height of the center of gravity are also included In rollover identification. These parameters are usually taken as being constant over the service life of the vehicle. For sport vehicles in the case of which only a small variation in these parameters takes place, this procedure is justified. However, the situation is for example different for off-road vehicles. Off-road vehicles are also referred to as Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs for short. Variations in the mass of the vehicle of up to and including 25% as well as variations in the height of the center of gravity by approximately 10% are not unusual in the case of off-road vehicles.
Estimating the height of the center of gravity for the purposes of rollover identification is already known in DE 19918597 A1. Therein a method is described for reducing the risk of tilting of vehicles. The method involves continuously determining a tilt coefficient of the vehicle and comparing it with a predefined threshold value. If said threshold value is exceeded a steering intervention is automatically performed, which depends on the tilting stability determined. At the beginning of each trip, the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated and the value stored.
DE 3222149 C2 describes a device for avoiding the sideways tilting of a vehicle. The vehicle concerned is a gantry crane for transporting large containers. The device calculates the height of the total center of gravity of the vehicle. For calculating the height of the total center of gravity the weight of the gantry crane is taken as known. The height of the container as well as the weight of the container are in each case determined by means of a measuring device. The height of the total center of gravity is determined from the weight of the gantry crane, the height of the center of gravity of the gantry crane, the weight of the container as well as the height of the center of gravity of the container.
DE 4416991 A1 describes a method and a facility for warning of the danger of tilting when a truck is negotiating a curve. To this end, before the vehicle is driven into a curve, the type of vehicle and the condition data relevant to the tilting risk on driving through this curve, such as the weight of the vehicle and the speed of the vehicle are recorded. The risk of tilting on driving through the curve with the recorded speed of the vehicle is determined as a function of the center of gravity of the mass of the vehicle and of the curve radius and at least one signal is transmitted in the case of an increased speed and a risk of tilting determined. In a section of the route which is as straight as possible ahead of a curve, wheel load sensors are provided in a line at right angles to the driving direction. The total weight is recorded by adding up the wheel loads determined in the individual wheel load sensors. In addition, provision has been made for a sensor ahead of the curve by means of which the height and the height contours of the vehicle in question can be recorded. In this way, as a function of the total weight of the vehicle, of the height and of the height contour of which as well as by means of predefined data for the specified type of vehicle, a weight-dependent estimation can be made of the height position of the center of gravity of the vehicle.